Why not a single shot for long range precision shooting?

C

Conservative

New member
I have been wondering why nobody mentions single shot rifles for long range precision shooting. (LRPS) It would seem to me that a weapon like the Ruger No. 1 or the TC single shot rifle, I think it is the Encore, would do a very nice job. Aren't falling block actions supposed to be very strong, reliable, and accurate due to the simplicity?

Also isn't the motto "One shot one kill." It seems to me that a repeating rifle only increases the temptation to take multiple shots and increase the likelihood of your position being discovered. A handgun, or submachine gun could be carried for use in the event that things really get hot.

On the otherhand I think I have heard something about the No. 1 not extracting rimless cartiges reliably. Is this a real problem, or just a story?

So tell me what you all think?

One other question. Will that little cheap NEF handi-rifle hit mansized targets at 300+ yds? I am wanting to get into LRPS as soon as possible and don't have that much money to work with. As in not more than $250, is it possible?
 
It depends upon what you think of as single shot and long range precission shooting.
The most accurate rifles in the world, competition bench rest rifles, are single shot rifles, but they are made on custom single shot bolt action recievers. But they are usually not built for very powerful cartridges and the usual range is 100 yards, maybe not long range enough for you. The sigle shot bolt action is considered a more stable or more consistant action type for this purpose.
Real long range rifles for snipers or military inspired shooting are also mostly bolts, but these people want more than a single shot.
The Ruger you mention would be suitable for sporting purposes (300yds plus), but many people might agree that it was not designed for long range precission work. Problems include factory grade levels of workmanship, a reciever that was not designed for the ultimate in rigidity and a two peice stock which is thought by many to introduce fine accuracy problems of its own.
Also, one of the joys of a single shot is its handiness and lightness as a sporting arm. You would be throwing this away if you really and honestly tried to make it into a serious long range arm.
As for extraction problems, yes, rimmed cartridges are actually better in some theoretical sense for single shots, as they have weaker extraction than bolts, but Ruger seems to have solved this problem for all practical purposes. But it could be a real problen on some of the older types of actions.
As for carrying a sniper type long range rifle and a submachine gun (combat application?), I am afraid that carrying one rifle around on a battlefield plus all the needed gear is more than enough for a soldier. They never carry more than one long arm.
I don't know anything about the NEF rifle.
 
From a purely mechanical viewpoint, a bolt action is a better platform as it can consistently cam the cartridge into the chamber.

The BR guns are usually either single shot bolt guns or bolt guns with a sleeved action. (sleeve is a peice of metal glued around the action to make it stiffer)

Practically, a good rifle is a good rifle. The Schutzen crowd gets some unbelieveable results. Slow calibers though..

Giz
 
There is no practical reason in the world why a modern replica falling block design would not serve as an effective sniper platform. The Ruger No.1 is also perfectly capable of the required accuracy. These designs and other historic designs also are easily capable of withstanding the internal pressures of modern cartridges.

IMHO, the only limitation would be a requirement for quick follow-up shots, which should be rare, but nevertheless, a modern bolt action would have an advantage. There is also the (believe it or not) perception that a modern rifle is required in order to get the accuracy required with modern cartridges. Absolutely, irrefutably, not true. If there was a demand, there probably would be a bench rest Ruger No. 1 and a bench rest Browning 1885, etc.

I owned a Stevens 44 1/2 replica in .25-'06. Browning makes their 1885 High Wall in .30-'06 and 7mm Rem Mag.

If accuracy were the only issue ... but it's not.


[This message has been edited by sensop (edited May 28, 2000).]
 
You can search the archives for NEF.

Most of the commentary has been favorable, reporting decent groups at 100 yards. IIRC, down around an inch or so...

FWIW, Art
 
Shin-Tao: "Any of us have one of those new Ruger single shot rifles?"

??????????? I don't see any new single shot rifles on their website. As far as the reference to "bench rest" No.1s and 1885s goes, it was a supposition that they might be available if there were a demand for them.

[This message has been edited by sensop (edited May 29, 2000).]
 
conservative, The NEF rifles in a rimless caliber will have an occasional spent case ejection problem. I owned 2 at one time a .308 and a 30-06 that both had problems on occasion.

I still own a 30-30 Win in a NEF and have no problems todate with over a thousand rounds shot in this rifle. Being that the 30-30 is a rimmed case and a different extractor type is used I have never had an ejection problem. This rifle is capable of 1 inch or less groups consistently.

If you are only going to use this rifle for target practise, then a stuck case would be little problem to you as a cleaning rod will easily remove the stuck empty case. So you could go with any caliber, rimless or not. I use mine for hunting, so I don't risk a stuck spent case, in the event I need a follow-up shot in a hurry.

Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by McChainsaw (edited May 30, 2000).]
 
Conservative. I have 6 Ruger #1 rifles, four of which are chambered for rimliss rounds. I have never had a failure to extract or eject with any of them. Can't say anything about NEF ond shooters though. Never had one.
Paul B.
 
Seems that you could load a single cartridge into any bolt action rifle. That way, you would have the advantage and convenience of a magazine rifle, while shooting single shot style.

Could anyone want more?
 
sensop,
Remove the word "new" from my query. I don't know why I added "new".

But anyway. Anyone have the Mossberg Singleshot yet?
 
I've owned a Ruger Number One in 25-06 since the early 1970's.....never a failure to eject. A hollow-point into a grapefruit at 300 yards is quite a show!!
 
A 6PPC or 6BR is effective out to about 300 yards as a varmint calibre with light (<70 grains) bullets. Some of the thousand yard shooters are shooting fast-twist barrels chambered in 6BR with the 105 gr. + VLD bullets.

At a match a few weeks ago, some of the folks with PPCs were shooting sub-half-inch groups at 200 yards...

The thousand yard BR match boys like the .308 Baer cartridge.
 
I was just turned on to the old and continuing sport of "Schuetzen" which seems to describe what some very, very, very precise modern-day riflemen are doing with their attention to minute detail of everything.
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~rrkraft/Legacy.html

There are lots of links brought up by google.com on the above keyword, but most are in German (obviously since that is the origin of the sport).

Those anti-gunners who say guns are only for killing things should look at the effort that these old-timers and new-timers went/go through to put successive rounds through the same hole at 200 yards.
 
i have a T/C encore in 300 win mag, first of all, the single shot is not good for percistion long range rifle because it is accurate, but the angle of the gun channel's more recoil into your shoulder than a normal rifle, also, sometimes in real life, follow up shots or multiple targets are possible. note the sniper in saving private ryan. the bolt action also gives a more positive uniform lock up. i even put a brake on the 300, and it still kicks hard.

i want to get a 308 in a bolt action for long range percision shooting, but need some cash first.
 
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